On Sunday, the commander of the Libyan Army Special Forces, Major General Wanis Bukhamada, died at a hospital in Benghazi, following a health problem he suffered.
Bukhamada was one of the LNA`s most prominent pillars, who took upon themselves to liberate the country from terrorists and extremists. He was known as Al Fahd Al Asmar, meaning the “Black leopard”.
A title were well-entrenched in the minds of the people, given the great victories he achieved in battles, especially those in Benghazi and Derna.
Bukhamada led the operation of unifying the Special Forces Brigades under the LNA. After that, he waged fierce battles against “Ansar al-Sharia” an AlQaeda affiliated group and the militia of February 17, in addition to the Benghazi and Derna Shura Councils, which pledged allegiance to the terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
During these battles, the Special Forces led by Bukhamada, succeeded in resolving many raids and operations in the battles of Benghazi, despite the targeting of their camps. The criminal militias believed that the presence of Bukhamada and his forces was a stumbling block in the way of their plans, and it is not possible to bypass them.
Therefore, the main camp of the Special Forces in Benghazi suffered a number of suicide bomber attacks. Bukhamada resisted these attacks and became more determined than ever to defeat the extremists.
He one said “Qatar and Turkey are terrorizing the city’s civilians, through their support for the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries which includes al-Qaeda and ISIS members”
In January 2018, the Commander moved his forces to the city of Derna to liberate the Eastern Libyan city.
On more than one occasion, Bukhamada emphasized that some rogue states seek the destruction and devastation of Libya. He explained that Qatar and Turkey are sending weapons to terrorist cells located in the Libyan west and supporting extremist groups.
With the increase in military build-ups around the oil crescent areas (Sirte and Al Jufra), Bukhamada ordered to conduct convoys of his forces to the oil fields area to secure them from any possible attacks and to preserve the capabilities of the Libyans.
At the same time, Bukhamada called on all security and police forces to take full legal and administrative measures against any individual or unit affiliated with the Special Forces proving his interference in public and private lands affairs. He was keen to preserve the rights of all Libyans.
He stressed in a letter addressed to all Special Forces units to prevent interference in state affairs unless it was ordered by the social office of the Special Forces, under the direct supervision of the Forces Commander and with the approval of the Public Prosecution or the Attorney General.